Pistol sight



Sept. 6. 1952 L.'N. CHAMBERS PISTOL SIGHT Filed Feb. 7, 1949 8 Fa'g. 7

JNVENTOR.

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Patented Sept. 16, '1952 NIT D STATES PATENT] rrsror. SIGHT V Lawrence N. Chambers, Davenport, Iowa Application February 7, 1949, Serial No. 75,010

*8 Claims. (01. 33- 53) my invention'are toprovide adjustable front and rear sights in which the front sight comprisesan elongated "post or blade containing a moveable element by which the width of the sightmay be broadened and in which the rear sight includes a notch, slot or aperture which can be widened or narrowed "within fixed limits.

It is well known thatthe lines of vision extending forwardly from opposite sides of the retina'through the pupil of the eye cross each other before passing through an aperture such as the slot or notch in the rear sight of a pistol. Thus the lines of vision extending from the right side of the retina through the notch in the rear sight will 'pass to the left of the front sight of a pistol held in shooting position while the lines of vision from the left side of the retina and extending through the rear sight of the pistol will pass to the right of the front sight.

It is also well known that it is advantageous to the shooter to have the front sight of the pistol appear as the same width as the aiming bull of his target while aiming at the bottom edge of the; aiming bull. This permits the shooter to align either vertical edge of the front sight with the vertical edge of the aiming bull; instead of his trying to divide the difference between the width of the aiming bull, and the apparent width of the front sight.

In order to accomplish this it is necessary for each shooter to adjust the width .of'the front sight to meethis own individual requirements. This adjustmentis necessary because of the varying distance at'which shooters hold their pistols from their eyes, the varying distances from the shooters to' the "targets, and the varying diameters of aiming bulls on diiferenttargets fired in separate shooting matches.

The accepted method of sighting a pistol is to align the top of the front sight with the top of the rear sight inthe vertical plane. The pistol is aligned horizontally by permitting a small streak of light to be seenateach side of the front sight, when sighting through the rear sight notch. The desired width of the light streak appearing along the side of the front sight is dependent upon the shooters eyesight and the intensity of the light upon the target at the time the pistol is being used. Generally the narrower the streak of light which can be permitted alongside of the front sight when viewing it through the rear sight notch, the more accurate the alignment of the pistol with the target. Since it has been determined that the lines of vision, when aiming a pistol, cross at approximately one-half the distance between the shooters eyes and the front sight, it can be seen that these dimensional adjustments are more critical than was previously thought. One of the objects of my invention is to provide means by which the sights can be adjusted for the purpose indicated. .Other objects will appear from the description.

I accomplish these objects'by the means illustratedin the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pistol barrel and carrier with sights mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the rear sight; 1 V

Figure 3 is a sectional view on:line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail plan front sight, and

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the front sight;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail plan view of an alternate form of rear sightwith another form of means for widening or narrowing the slot or aperview of the ture therein;

Figure '7 is a sectional detail on the lines 1--7 of Figure 6.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My invention includes a rear sight pivotally mounted upon the rear end of the carrier for the pistol barrel by a, pivot 8.2 which will permit it to be raised or lowered in accordance with present common practice. The body 4 of the sight has arms extending forwardly to straddle a log 8.! through which the pivot pin 8.2 extends and the lug 8.! is formed integral with the slide 8 which extends transversely of the carrier and is moveable in a suitable slot formed in the top of the carrier. 1 make no claim to this form of mounting as it is well known andin common use.

In the rear part of the body 4, I form a vertical slot 4a and a circular bore in which is seated a cylindrical member 6 having a slot formed therein extending from front to rear and with the upper part 1 of the body at both sides of the slot cut away at an angle as shown in Figure :2.

An annular groove is formed in the lower portion of the member 6 into which the inner ends of set screws 6.l project by which the member 6 may be locked in adjusted position.

When it is desired to narrow the aperture of the rear sight, the set screws 6.l may be tightened or loosened suiiiciently to permit the member 6 to be turned at an angle tothe longitudinal axis ,of the barrel as shown in Figure 2, and when in that position the sides 1-! of the member 6 will narrow the space through which the lines of vision from the eye of the shooter must pass in travelling past the front sight and to the target.

After the members is adjusted as desired, the set screws 6.I may be tightened and the sight held firmly in the desired position. r

The front sight comprises an elongated post 0 blade 5 with a circular bore formed near the rear end thereof in which a moveable plug 13 is pivotally mounted upon a set screw 13.! which-extends upwardly in the bore, the "head of the screw 13.! seats in'an enlargement o'f the bore at the bottomthereof whereby the plug 13 is secured against displacement.- a, .I q R be rotatably adjusted whereby the slot in the nal axis of the body of the sight, in combina tionwith a rear sight body having a slot formed therein parallel to the barrel, a vertical bore formed in the body and a plug mounted in the bore having a corresponding slot and arranged to plug will appear as full width of the slot only ;'.when it is inline with the barrel longitudinally arranged to press against the plug l3 when tightened and to lock it in adjusted position.

In Figures 6 and 7 I have shown an alternate form of adjustable rear sight in which the body 4 is provided with transverse channels in which moveable members 9 are slideably mounted. The members 9 may be held against outward movement by set screws threaded in suitable bores formed in the body 4 in which springs H'-l| are seated to bear against downward projections of the slideable members 9-9.

A tapered screw I2 is mounted in a suitable bore formed in the rear of the body 4 and the tapered portion'is arranged to bear against the inner ends of the slideable members 99 so as to force them apart when the screw I2 is turned in one direction and to permit them to approach each other and thus narrow the slot or aperture when turned in the opposite direction.

In the operation of my invention, the sights are first set so that the longitudinal axis of the plug I3 is parallel to the axis of the pistol barrel and the aperture in the rear sight is opened to its widest extent.

The user of the pistol can then sight it at the bottom of the aiming bull and if the lines of visionpassing the frontsightS do not cause the front sight 5 to equal inf-width the aiming bull of thetarget, the plug [3 may be turned so as to appearto widen the-sight to the desired extent.

e To afford the desired vision of the front sight. as it is sighted at the bottom of the aiming bull,

the slot or notch in'the rear sight will thenibe narrowed by turning the member 6 or byretractingthe members 9 to the desired extent, it being obvious that the narrower theslot' ornotch in the rear sight, the smaller will be the streak of light appearing along the sides ofthe front sight, and the more accurate will be the. alignment of the pistolwith the target.

My invention may be applied to air guns and pressure guns of many kinds as well as to firearms of various types which come under the classification of pistols or revolvers as commonly designated. 1 1

Various modifications may be made in the form and proportions of the parts or other parts substituted Without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not limit my claims to the precise form shown in the drawings.

. I claim: 1

. 1. In a pistol or similar arm, a frontfsight having an elongated body mounted above the front end of the barrel, a vertical bore formed therein, a rotatable plug mounted in the bore with its upper part having a width corresponding to the width of the body and a length greater than the width of the body whereby when alined longitudinally with the body, the sides of the plugs will be in line with the sides of the longitudinal body and when turned at an angle thereto,

the edges ofthe plug will extend laterally farther than the sides of the longitudinalbody a ,distance depending upon the angle at which it is turned, and means for securing the plug in various angular positions relative to'the longitudi and will narrow the lines of vision through the slot when turned at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

2. A front sight for a pistol or similar arm including an elongated body united tothe barrel, a vertical bore formed therein, a rotatable plug mounted in the bore with its upperpart having a width corresponding to the width of the body and a length greater than the width of thebody and means for securing the plug in'various angu lar positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the'body of thejsight. Q r 2 3. A rear sight for a pistol or similar arm including a body having a slot formed therein in line with the barrel, a vertical bore formed in the body and a plug mounted in the bore having a I corresponding slot and arranged to be rotatably' adjusted at various angles whereby the longitu' dinal opening therethrough may appear tobe narrowedj 4. The combination'as' described in claim 1 with separate manually operable means to lock I the plugs respectively in any given adjusted position.

5. The combination. as described in claim '1' and set screwsthreaded into the rear sight body arranged to alternately contact and rotate the plug.

6. The combination as described in claim. 1 and set screws threaded into, the rear sight body arranged to alternately contact and rotate the plug and to lock it in any given adjusted position.

7. A pistol or similar arm having albarrel and, mounted on the outer end of the barrel, a lateral- 1y adjustable carrier carrying a narrow elongated front sight, a vertical manually rotatable plug mounted in the front sight of a width equal to the width of thesightand a length greater than the Width of the Sight and a Slotted rear sight."

body having a correspondingly slotted plugrotatably mounted therein. Y I

8. [A pistol as described in claim'7, and separate means for rotatablyadjustingthe plugs in the front and rear sights progressively wherebythe' front sight may appear widened and the slot opening in the rear sight may appear narrowed.

LAWRENCE N. CHAMBERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED'STIA'I'ES PATENTS 

